Community.

This word just keeps coming up again and again. As many of y’all know, we’ve been going through a strategic planning process over the last four months, mapping out our Long Welcome Plan for refugees. We’ve conducted hours of interviews and focus groups, researched best practices from across the country, and worked with consultants to develop a Theory of Change and analyze our Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (a “SWOT Analysis” for those experts reading this). And through it all, we keep finding that word. Community.

It’s in our mission statement, it’s in our origin story, it’s a strength, a weakness, an opportunity and a threat all at once. We can’t seem to discuss a single objective or strategy without talking about our community, how we need you, how you affect us, how we impact each other. Community, community, community.

It’s clearly core to who we are—and who we will become. We’re really excited to start unveiling our Long Welcome strategy with you all in the next few weeks (watch this space for some exciting announcements!). But here’s one thing we can tell you all right now: There is no way to carry any of it out without deep involvement from y’all, our Community, at every step of the process.

With all that in mind, we’ve got an exciting new opportunity coming your way in the next few weeks—April 4th to be precise. We aren’t going to give any more details just yet, but mark your calendars. Watch this space. Get excited.